Rail-brace.



PATEHTBD MAY 28, 199?.

M. L. SWINGLE. RAIL BRAGE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 190-1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

MARTIN L- SWINGLE, OF ROSEVILLE, OHIO.

RAIL-BIIRACE.

Specification of I etters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application filed January 29, 19 7. semi No. 354,640.

To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, MARTIN L. SWINGLE, a

' Y citizen of the United States, residing at Rosethat class which engage the opposite flanges of the rails of a track sect-ion and are adjustable to exert a tendency to draw the rails toward each other.

The brace or cross comprises a pair-of sections which are adapted to be drawn toward each other by means of turn buckles and it is in the construction of these sections that my invention resides.

" plied'toa pair of rails, and, Fig. 2 is a detail --1ny devices.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of my track-braces apperspective view of one of the sections.

Referring more specifically tothe drawings there is shown a pair of rails 5, -which are connected and braced by means 'of one of Each of these devices coniprises a'pair of sections which areadap'ted at one of their ends toengage the base flanges of a rail andare connected at their opposite ends by means of a turn buckle which when turned serves to draw the sections together and exerts a like tendency upon the rails. a

Each of the sections comprises a plate portion 6 which extends directly beneath the.

base of the corresponding rail and an upstanding inwardly directed flange 7 which engages the out-er base flange of the rail, the

- inner flange being engaged by a rail-engaging rib 8 formed integral with the plate portion 6 upon-the upper face thereof. Formed integral with each plate portion 6 is a rod '9 and the rod is considerably enlarged at its point of junction with the plate portion and at this point is turned downwardly from the plate portion so-that -the rod will lie in a plane below theplane occupied by the plate portion, this enlarged portion of the rod beingindicated by the numeral 10. v

' The extreme ends of'the rod 9 are screw threaded as at 11 and when the sections are inplace upon the rails of a track section,

these ends of the rods oppose each other and are connected by means of a turn buckle 12 which is provided with a number of openings 13 for the reception of the end of a crowbar or other implement by'means of which the turn buckle is to be turned. A jam nut 14 is engaged upon-the threaded sternportion 11 of one of the members and is adapted to be turned tightly into engagement with one end of the turn buckle 12, after the same has been properly adjusted, for the p ose of preventing, the said turn buckle wor ing loose.

What is claimed is- A track brace including a pair of sections including plate portions the outer ends ofthe plate portions being bent upwardly and above their body portions at an acute angle,

to ernbrace' the outer base .flanges of rails with which the sections are to be en aged, and an upstanding r-ib formed integra with and projecting upwardly from the upper face ed toa 'ut the edge of the inner base flange of the respective rail, and'a turn buckle connecting the sections, each of the said sections being adapted to have its bent end portion engaged with the outer flange of a rail and then swung u *ardly until the said outer base flangeis snug y received in thesaid bentportion and the edge of the inner base flange abuts the rib In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' MARTIN L. SWINGLE.

4 -Witnesses J. .N. OWENS,

C. E. PORTER.

of each late section, the said rib being adapt- 

